The month of April has been focused on creating music to offer peace and hope. It has been a busy and full week back home after recording A Thousand Years. There has been lots of listening back to mixes for final approval to master the CD.  A Brahm’s Lullaby section ended up not making the final recording so that the Be Still My Soul hymn could be more prominent. My arrangement of Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor, which has an original beginning and ending inspired by Job 7, will now be titled Monastery at Eventide. I learned that Chopin composed is 24 preludes while staying at a monastery and Job 7 speaks to a longing for evening shadows amidst daily and life struggles. Graphics design work has been completed and submitted, and the CD manufacturing process will begin next week. My daily theme right now is Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Stillness, gratitude and remembrance give me life as I reflect one day at a time.

The 9th and final day of this adventure was spent mixing tracks in the studio. The variety, beauty and emotion of this new music is rich and soothing. I am just beginning to be able to listen from a perspective that is outside the studio, where piano, vocals, English horn and guitar were all recorded. Here are the 12 tentative track names…Across the Skies, World Of Wonders, Vive La Joye, A Thousand Years, Hymn To Bach, Bread of Angels, For A Lifetime Blessings Flow, Always in Blossom, Be Still My Soul, Shedding Tears With Chopin, Prelude in C and Alleluias Dancing. Six of the greatest classical composers and seven famous hymns are represented in the arrangements, which interweave original composing throughout. Next week the CD mastering will be completed, then music samples can be put up on the website while CDs are being manufactured for the May 20th official release.

Today we recorded the beautiful English horn of Jill Haley. She was also a guest artist on Unveiled and December Peace. Both English horn and angelic vocals will add some unique colors to five of twelve tracks. Will Ackerman also joins them on guitar for a unique version of “All Creatures of Our God and King” that I am calling “Alleluias Dancing” for now. I, along with everyone else involved, am feeling the exhaustion of pouring our hearts into this project to create music that will offer peace, rest, hope and healing to listeners. We also began mixing tracks today, which brings all the sounds of each piece into their final form. More mixing tomorrow, with a final mastered recording to come next week.